One of the most common allergens, pollen from trees, grass, and plants, leaves many people sneezing, blowing their noses, and dabbing their watery eyes in the spring and into the summer. If you and your family deal with allergy flare-ups every year during warm weather, make the rest of this season an enjoyable one with a few key tips. Though these will help most people, you may need to talk to your family doctor about medications if symptoms don’t improve.

How to Reduce Your Allergies

Limit your exposure to pollen as much as you can, especially from 5 a.m to 10 a.m. when the count is usually highest. The same applies around dusk. Close your windows and doors to keep allergens out of your home and take showers after being outdoors. Wash pollen-coated clothes as well, and use your dryer instead of hanging clothes on a clothesline. Exercise indoors, whether at home or in a gym.

Other tips for controlling springtime allergies include using a dust or pollen mask to perform gardening tasks. If you still have issues with symptoms, talk to your family doctor about over-the-counter and prescription medications, including nasal sprays. Neti pots with saltwater solutions also provide relief.

How to Reduce Your Children’s Allergies

Help your children reduce their allergy symptoms by making sure they bathe after coming in from playing outside. Launder their clothes as soon as possible and look for fun things to do indoors when the pollen count is especially high, such as making pillow and cushion forts or having a board game marathon. Deal with severe allergies in your children with medication specifically for their age brackets. Review medications with your family doctor for children aged six months and up, including chewable tablets for kids who aren’t old enough to swallow pills.

Maintain clean indoor air so you and your family breathe easier this spring, including vacuuming regularly with a HEPA filter vacuum, scheduling routine air duct cleaning if applicable, and installing HEPA filters in the bedrooms. Check and clean air conditioning unit filters per manufacturer recommendations for cleaner, healthier indoor air.

Work with the family doctor at Palladium Primary Care in High Point, NC, to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy this spring and beyond. The local medical clinic provides patients with general, primary, pediatric, and emergency care services, with walk-ins always welcome. Call (336) 841-8500 today to schedule an appointment or learn more about the family doctor online.